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I was taught at an early age that if you're outnumbered and you feel like shit is about to go down, just act as crazy as you can, because most people don't like fighting crazy people. It's saved me from certain beat downs twice and got my nose reconfigured another time.

I was taught when I was young that if I'm ever jumped by a bunch of people, focus on one person and send him to the hospital. You'll still get your ass kicked, but at least one of your aggressors will share in your pain.

Also, in my hometown, people were getting jumped a lot, so I made it a point to let people know that if I ever got jumped, that I would find where each of them lived.

Also, if the others see that you're destroying one of them, they may lose heart and break off the attack. Personally, if I ever get jumped I'm going to sink my teeth into the throat of the first person I can get my mouth near. No one wants to fight a fucking vampire.

Yeah, I remember hearing this one, too. Most of the fights I've been involved in were confrontations that escalated. The only time I've been jumped was easily the worst whuppin I've ever had in my life and it could have been so, so much worse than a couple days in the hospital.

Like I said above, I've learned that it's always best to walk away and keep a sharp eye out as you're turning tail. I'm much older now too, so that has a lot to do with it.

My mom had a boyfriend a long time ago when I was a teenager and he was a police officer. He told us once about a woman who was mugged walking down the street. The guy tried to snatch her purse and instead of yelling or fighting back, she looked at him and said "I like cheese" in a kind of mumbling, mentally disabled way. The robber was totally caught off guard as she continued to follow him down the street telling him how much she loved cheese. He eventually dropped her purse and took off. When he asked her why she responded that way, she said that she assumed that a person would not feel threatened by a mentally handicapped person. It worked.

My friend who is an actress in NYC always carries an orange with her. If she's on the subway at night and feels threatened by anyone, she has a way of peeling and eating the orange that makes her look like a madwoman. I've seen a demonstration. It's barking mad.

I've never heard of anyone other than myself who has the ability to provoke emotion in others by eating fruit at them. She and I should have kids; they could lay countries low with a well-placed kumquat.

I'm sure I'll be buried under the goofier responses, but the most important things in order to prevent or overcome a physical confrontation is awareness and confidence. Don't ever act scared - you should always be putting off an air of "go ahead and fuck with me, I can't wait", never of nervousness or fear. Attackers are like animals - they pick on the weak. However, sometime you can't avoid a fight...

This is where awareness comes into play. I've seen so many idiots approached in an aggressive manner, and they stand there, squared up, with their hands at their waist, in their pockets, holding a drink, playing with a cigarette, etc. Always maintain space from a potential attacker until you are ready to change that. Put down your drink, and switch your stance so that your dominant hand is in the rear - put your weight on that rear leg. Hold you hands up - with your hands open (this is important), and speak with your hands, keeping your non-dominant hand halfway-extended, while saying shit like, "I don't want to fight, I don't need to get arrested again, etc). This creates distance, and you can quickly bring your hands back towards your face to defend an attack. Your open hands appear non-threatening, but you can quickly execute an eye-poke or a palm strike (it may look like a bitch slap, but you can fuck someone up with the heel of your palm - also, much safer for you if you don't know how to make a proper fist).

Don't fight with your back against the wall, the bar, etc. Slowly circle towards your right (this is assuming both parties are right handed), while talking to get your back off the wall. Be aware of potential weapons on hand. FYI, beer bottles don't usually break like they do in the movies - they're much more effective if you "stab" with the mouth of the bottle into soft-tissue areas. Also, ties, jackets, hoodies, etc. are excellent handles - use them to your advantage if it comes to blows.

Lastly, don't be afraid to throw the first punch. Legal bullshit aside, once someone is in your face, you can only assume they mean to do you harm.

Just $.02 from a guy that's been boxing and doing BJJ for over a decade, and seen a ton of bar/street fights.

If you do find yourself up against a wall and the opponent has his hands on your chest/neck. There is a quick way out of this - grab the attacker's neck, and throw out your legs. Literally throw your legs out. This will cause you to fall straight down, pulling your attacker with you. They will get forced into the wall/bar and into a world of pain and broken noses.

I've boxed in the past, and you nailed it. Move to the right, keep your striking hand/foot back, and act like you aren't about it until the moment you decide enough is enough. Surprise and ultraviolence is your best friend. When you go from 'trying to get away' to efficiently attacking and charging, it fucks up most would be attackers and gives you the advantage.

I used to live in a particularly rough part of Calgary. I also used to work afternoon shift fairly often which required me to walk home from the C-train station after midnight several times per week. It was about a 1.5km walk. I was robbed three times until a discovered this little gem. Nobody, I mean nobody will approach you in the city if you are hanging out with Natives. So at my train stop there used to be several Native street youth who used to hang out. I started chatting with them casually giving them some cash here and there. Before long the just started walking home with me. I was never hassled again, and I met some pretty interesting people.

For the bad rap it has, I don't think the DTES is THAT scary. I certainly don't like being down there alone at night, though the few times it has happened I have never had anything bad happen to me. There are other parts of the Lower Mainland that are a lot scarier.

Great technique that can be applied in lots of situations. Every festival we go to, my first job, after erecting our tent, is to go share a few beers with the nearest other group that looks like they could be trouble, or annoying. Bingo, I'm their friend that came and drank with them, and they take extra care not to fall over into our shit, and look out for people hanging round our tent when we're not there.

Good luck. Take a mallet, and some spare tent pegs. People always forget shit like that, and if you can help them out in some way, bang, you've made another festival buddy. And probably a few beers as well.

edit: another piece of festival advice. When going to use the toilets, always try and use one right after a girl's been in it. She'll have done some rudimentary cleaning up for you.

I was cornered by two guys in grade school, 7th or 8th. They were saying shit like, "We're going to kill you" and stuff. I said, before you do 'think about this'. I will be lying here dead, but I will bite off one of your noses. I'll be dead, but you'll have to live without a nose. This is the first thing I am doing once you start it. I will focus on eating your nose. Now let's say I get one of your noses, I'm going for an ear. I'll be dead, but you both will be disfigured.

I was scared shitless when I said this. I had just watched Princess Bride and it just seemed 'like the right thing to say'. They walked away calling me a pussy - kinda funny.

I went to an all girl school and they'd always have self defense classes. If attacked by a potential rapist, my school recommended the following:

(1) aim for the eyes
(2) attack the neck and groin
(3) if your in a position where the rapist has his Wang in your face, my self defense class said to do you best to bite it off - but only in extreme cases as it might result in you getting a disease.
(4) bite and scratch everywhere
(5) most importantly, scream "fire" because it easier to say then "help" as it requires less vocal cords and gives off the vibe that you might be mentally unstable. (which apparently helps to deter rapists)

An ex military friend of mine was giving me some tips to defend myself while we were out drinking last Sunday. This was one of the big ones he told me. Especially since I'm a pretty laid back guy who doesn't go looking for trouble that could make me be seen as an easy target by the wrong people.

I hold a knife out in front of me at night as I walk to my car after work. This is something my husband calls the "wolf vs. badger" scenario.

Wolves can fight badgers in the wild, and they almost certainly will win every time. However, despite this fact, wolves seldom pick fights with badgers because any victory is ultimately Pyrrhic--the badger fights so viciously that even if it is defeated, the damage it causes to the wolf is severe.

you can also flick their nose. it will make their eyes water, and it hurts like a bitch. or just grab their nose and pull it. people are like cows. if you get their nose, you can lead them wherever you want.

Doesn't work well in human society. You wake up with your pants gone along with your wallet, cellphone and watch and have to walk home later butt-naked with a bleeding anus and dried jizz strings hanging from your eyelids.

Poop your pants. Reach into pants and brandish poop. Lift to sky. Say: "Lord, bestow upon this log the gift of invincibility." Rub all over face. With arms spread wide and up, slowly approach attacker while howling.

Make sure you know what you're doing with that knife before you use it. If you don't know how to properly use one for self-defense and/or you aren't mentally capable of stabbing someone, it will just end up worse for you (as in normally they will be pissed as fuck you pulled a knife on them and take it from you and turn it against you)

I read a good tip on reddit a while back - I think it was an AMA from a bodyguard, but I can't find it now. Anyways, when walking through a sketchy neighborhood, his tip was to get a cheap cup of coffee from a convenience store and hold it until you get to your destination. If anyone threatens you, you have a 200 degree cup of sludge that was sitting on a hotplate for half the day to throw at them and then run away.

wow, that is actually brilliant. I just got a new job at a hospital. I will be working till midnight and will have to walk about half a mile to a train. Being that im not quite old enough to get a concealed weapons permit (and I doubt I could take it to a hospital even) I need some form of defense.

I'm a girl, so when I'm walking alone and males start to check me out, I give out the most unattractive look ever. I sag my pants and try to show some gut, I hold my head back to show a double chin, and I just make very weird faces. It usually gets some laughs, but it most often gets people to walk away from you.

I smoke Cheyennes when Im walking in a bad part of town. Now if you don't know what those are, they are horrible cigarettes with flavoring to cover up their horrid tobacco and they can be bought for 1.50$ for a pack of 20. You don't rob someone who is smoking those.

My self defense technique is to start laughing uncontrollably and kick them in the balls and knee them in the face, then, without missing a second, still laughing, I start slowly eating their face until they finally push me off and run away screaming

I live in a shitty part of Frankfurt right now, and self-defense is easy enough for me. I don't talk to the prostitutes, I don't talk to the drug dealers, I ignore anyone who asks me for more than directions (by pretending only to speak Spanish), I don't go into the night clubs, and I don't go into the alleys. I never have more than 50 euros on my (and when I do, it's because I'm walking home from the ATM or walking to the hauptbahnhof to by a train ticket to a nicer city). I am good at fighting, but the two times somebody tried to jump me, I just ran. If you mind your own business, for the most part you will get left alone.

Typically, when drunken douche bags pick fights, they kick it off by getting close to someone and instigating an argument. If this happens to you, and you think a fight is imminent. Do this:

When he's so close, you can smell the Jager on his breathe, never clench a fist. His animal brain will kick in, and he'll escalate his attack plan. Instead, lift your least favorite arm up and wag your finger in his face. Say, "Don't touch me." He'll probably touch you to be a smart ass. Doesn't matter. Your arm is already raised, waving the finger. Extend all four fingers and drive them into his nose bridge and cheek bones. Push up quickly and get at least one finger into an eye. He'll start throwing punches immediately. Side step, and drive your dominant fist into his nose. If running isn't an option, clinch down on the sides of his head with both hands. Bonus points if he has long enough hair to get a good grip on. Knee him in the balls. He'll try and tackle you, just step back but keep his head under control. Use your elbows to block punches, stay clear headed and duck punches by moving your head. Give a quick push up on his head, he'll instinctively push back. Change direction, pull his head down and knee him in the face as hard as you can. Do it again. Do it again. Keep doing it. He'll eventually fall down and choke to death on his own blood and teeth.

Call the police, because you just killed a guy, and it'll look good in court.

Yea I saw an AMA from a guy that got in a fistfight and the other guy ended up slipping and hitting his head on the corner of a table and died. He ended up getting convicted of murder. I don't think your plan would work out the way you think.

I'm a small guy, not fit for fighting anyone. I tend to wear a hoodie and leather jacket most days, and I have a ponytail. What I do when I walk alone at night is to remove my hairband so my hair is a tangled mess around my face, I pull the hood over my head, stick my hands in the leather jacket's front pockets and I start walking with a hunched back. Makes me look like a homeless junkie. Noone bothers, there's nothing to gain from robbing one :P

(I'm white) When walking through the well known rough neighborhoods around my city that are mainly black, I'll usually smoke a black and mild as I walk through. I've been asked for a light or if they could bum one from me on occasion. I don't know if this would be considered self defense but rather a way to not look vulnerable and an easy target.

I used to teach self defense courses for women. Generally we'd tell them to always appear confident, be aware of your surroundings, don't look lost even if you are and if you need directions go in a store and ask a clerk, and lastly be ready to do something incase it does happen. People who are looking to mug, jump, or rob you are predators looking for prey. They don't want someone who seems like they'll put up a fight and they definitely don't want to get stuck fighting you or even worse lose.

This was something my mom taught me as a kid. I was taught if someone tried to "grab me" (my mom's term for kidnapping), I was to scream as loud as I could, and in their ear, pee, poop, and/or throw up.

Practice using knives (learning how to cut, disarming armed people, etc.) then carry around 2 very big spoons. Seriously, if you are being mugged or robbed, they usually stop, stare, and walk away if you carry 2 big spoons. If they engage, a few good smacks to their head or the neck will decommission them for enough time to run away.

Most people don't know how to fight and I look like a wolverine short, stocky, thick...etc. Anyway, I carry around a mouth guard and when someone starts shit I put it on and it usually makes people think twice. Nobody wants a fight someone who came prepared.

I used to take the bus and I seemed to be a magnet for crazy people. It came up in a conversation with a friend and he told me (as a joke) that I should just pull out a Bible and start reading it to keep the crazy away.

I recently took a Greyhound when I relocated to a new town and to avoid the crazies (and getting decapitated) I just pulled out a bible. No one bothered me the whole trip.